Multi-material iron type golf club head

ABSTRACT

An iron type golf club head comprising a blade portion located near a terminal end of said iron type golf club head forming a cavity near a bottom sole portion of said blade portion; a hosel portion located near a proximal end of said iron type golf club head; wherein said first material has a yield strength greater than about 570 MPa; wherein said second material has a yield strength less than about 570 MPa.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present invention is a Continuation-in-Part of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/585,688, filed on Dec. 30, 2014, which is aContinuation-in-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/512,270,filed on Oct. 10, 2014, which is Divisional of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 13/894,660, filed on May 15, 2013, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,870,683,which is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/043,985,filed on Mar. 9, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,454,453, the disclosure ofeach incorporated by reference in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to an iron type golf club headthat utilizes different materials to improve the performance of the golfclub head. More specifically, the present invention relates to a golfclub head that utilizes different materials to construct differentportions of the iron type golf club head in order to reduce weight fromundesirable portions of the golf club head; all while maintaining thestrength and durability characteristics typically associated with a golfclub head that is formed out of a unitary material. Because theperformance of a golf club head is so dependent upon the Center ofGravity (CG) location as well as the Moment of Inertia (MOI) of the golfclub head itself, saving weight from undesirable portions of the golfclub head creates more discretionary weight, which can be placed atstrategic locations that improves the CG and MOI characteristics of thegolf club head. Hence, the golf club head in accordance with the presentinvention achieves both of the objectives mentioned above by increasingthe amount of discretionary weight to improve performance whilemaintaining the solid feel generally associated with a solid unitarygolf club.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In order to continually improve the performance of a golf club, golfclub designers are constantly searching for new and innovative ways makea golf club perform better. Although what constitutes better performancefor golf club is debatable, the great popularity of the game of golf hasrequired golf club designers to create a golf club that performs betterfor your average everyday golfer, who may not have the perfect golf gameday in and day out.

It is worthwhile to recognize here that when your average golfer swingsa golf club, he or she may not always have a replicable golf swing;often resulting in the golf club impacting the golf ball at differentlocations on the golf club face. Needless to say, it is difficult forany golf club to achieve consistent result when the impact between thegolf club and the golf ball isn't consistent. Although this specificproblem with impact consistency decreases with an increase in experienceand skill level, it is something that even the best golfer willinevitably struggle with from time to time. Hence, in order to addressthis issue of inconsistency of impact that can lead to inconsistentperformance, golf club designers need to come up with golf clubs thatcan minimize the undesirable effects from such off-center impact. U.S.Pat. No. 5,395,113 to Antonious provides one example of one of theearlier attempt to address this issue by providing an iron type golfclub with a weight configuration that utilizes peripheral weights thatextend around a rear surface of the club head. Without going into toomuch physics about the MOI of a golf club head as well as the CGlocation, the shifting of these weights shown by U.S. Pat. No. 5,395,113address the problem of inconsistent impact by prohibiting the golf clubhead from twisting when it is struck off center.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,789,772 to Sukman provides another example of amethodology used to minimize the adverse effects of inconsistent impactby adjusting the thicknesses of various portions of the golf club head.More specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 7,789,772 discloses a golf club headcomprising of a sink portion having a variation in heel-to-toe contourwhile maintaining a low-order front-to-rear contour resulting in an irontype golf club having a unique weighting distribution.

Although the above mentioned attempts to improve the performance of thegolf club in terms of manipulating the thicknesses at various portionsof the golf club head are admirable, they fail to take in considerationof the performance gains that are possible by using alternativematerials having different densities that could accentuate the weightingaffects. Recent golf club designers, in order to further improve theperformance of a golf club head, have recognized the performanceadvantages that could be achieved using alternative materials byexperimenting with materials having different densities. U.S. Pat. No.6,814,674 to Clausen et al. illustrates one of the more recent attemptsthat incorporate different components to construct a golf club head.More specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 6,814,674 discloses three differentcomponents, a periphery member, a central member, and a face plate; allmade out of different materials to improve the CG and MOI of the golfclub head by creating more discretionary weight than previouslypossible.

Although these recent attempts at utilizing multiple materials havingdifferent material properties can dramatically increase the amount ofdiscretionary weight, it does so at the expense of sacrificing the feelof a golf club head. Feel of a golf club head, although a difficultcriteria to quantify, generally results from the capability of a golfclub to feel solid upon impact with the golf ball. This type of solidfeedback is generally achieved by having the golf club head formed outof a unitary solid structure, as the structural integrity of this typeof unitary solid structure clubs allows the energy of the impact to befelt by a golfer in a consistent manner.

Hence, it can be seen from above, there exists a need for a golf club toprovide a more even balance between forgiveness and feel. Morespecifically, there is a need in the field for a golf club head thatutilizes a substantially uniform material throughout the body portion ofthe golf club head to maintain the feel that is generally associatedwith a solid golf club; all while pushing the boundaries of performanceby creating the maximum discretionary weight that can be used to improvethe MOI and CG location of the golf club head.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One non-limiting embodiment of the present technology includes an irontype golf club head comprising: a blade portion located near a terminalend of said iron type golf club head, said blade portion defining astriking face adapted for striking a golf ball and a rear surface,wherein over 50% of said blade portion is made out of a first material;a hosel portion located near a proximal end of said iron type golf clubhead, wherein over 50% of said hosel portion is made out of a secondmaterial; and a bifurcation plane defined as a plane that isperpendicular to said striking face positioned at a distance of 30 mmheel-ward along an X-axis from a face center of said iron type golf clubhead, said bifurcation plane separating said blade portion from saidhosel portion; wherein said first material has a yield strength greaterthan about 570 MPa; wherein said second material has a yield strengthless than about 570 MPa.

In an additional non-limiting embodiment of the present technology over70% of said blade portion is made out of a first material and whereinover 70% of said hosel portion is made out of a second material.

In an additional non-limiting embodiment of the present technology over90% of said blade portion is made out of a first material and whereinover 90% of said hosel portion is made out of a second material.

In an additional non-limiting embodiment of the present technology saidfirst material comprises greater than 0.10% carbon content by weight andwherein said second material comprises less than 0.10% carbon content byweight.

In an additional non-limiting embodiment of the present technology saidfirst material comprises greater than 0.10% carbon content by weight andwherein said second material comprises less than 0.10% carbon content byweight.

In an additional non-limiting embodiment of the present technology saidfirst material is 17-4 stainless steel and said second material is 304stainless steel.

In an additional non-limiting embodiment of the present technology saidfirst material is 17-4 stainless steel and said second material is 304stainless steel.

An additional non-limiting embodiment of the present technology includesan iron type golf club head comprising: a blade portion located near aterminal end of said iron type golf club head, said blade portiondefining a striking face adapted for striking a golf ball and a rearsurface, wherein over 50% of said blade portion is made out of a firstmaterial; a hosel portion located near a proximal end of said iron typegolf club head, wherein over 50% of said hosel portion is made out of asecond material; and a bifurcation plane defined as a plane that isperpendicular to said striking face positioned at a distance of 30 mmheel-ward along an X-axis from a face center of said iron type golf clubhead, said bifurcation plane separating said blade portion from saidhosel portion; wherein said blade portion has an average Brinell HBhardness greater than about 275; wherein said hosel portion has anaverage Brinell HB hardness less than about 275.

In an additional non-limiting embodiment of the present technology saidhosel portion has an average Brinell HB hardness less than about 250.

In an additional non-limiting embodiment of the present technology saidhosel portion has an average Brinell HB hardness less than about 225.

In an additional non-limiting embodiment of the present technology saidhosel portion has an average Brinell HB hardness less than about 200.

In an additional non-limiting embodiment of the present technology saidhosel portion has an average Brinell HB hardness less than about 175.

In an additional non-limiting embodiment of the present technology saidhosel portion has an average Brinell HB hardness less than about 150.

In an additional non-limiting embodiment of the present technology saidhosel portion has an average Brinell HB hardness less than about 125.

An additional non-limiting embodiment of the present technology includesa method of forming an iron type golf club head comprising: providing ablade portion in the form of a rod, said blade portion made out ofgreater than 50% of a first material having a first yield strength;providing a hosel portion in the form of a rod, said hosel portion outof greater than 50% of a second material having a second yield strength;welding said blade portion together with said hosel portion into apre-form billet; forging said pre-form billet into a desired shape forsaid iron type golf club head; wherein said first yield strength isgreater than about 570 MPa; wherein said second yield strength is lessthan about 570 MPa; wherein the separation between said blade portionand said hosel portion is defined by a bifurcation plane, defined as aplane that is perpendicular to a striking face of said iron type golfclub head, positioned at a distance of 30 mm heel-ward along an X-axisfrom a face center of said iron type golf club head;

In an additional non-limiting embodiment of the present technology over70% of said blade portion is made out of a first material and whereinover 70% of said hosel portion is made out of a second material.

In an additional non-limiting embodiment of the present technology over90% of said blade portion is made out of a first material and whereinover 90% of said hosel portion is made out of a second material.

In an additional non-limiting embodiment of the present technology saidblade portion in the form of a rod further comprises a first locatingfeature and wherein said hosel portion in the form of a rod furthercomprises a second locating feature, wherein said first locating featureis configured to cooperate with said second locating feature to locatesaid blade portion relative to said second portion during welding.

An additional non-limiting embodiment of the present technology includesrotating said blade portion in the form of a rod relative to said hoselportion in the form of a rod, locking said blade portion to said hoselportion.

An additional non-limiting embodiment of the present technology includeswelding around the perimeter of the intersection of said blade portionin the form of a rod and said hosel portion in the form of a rod.

An additional non-limiting embodiment of the present invention includesa method of forming an iron type golf club head comprising of the stepsof partially forging a blade portion of said golf club head with acavity near a bottom sole portion of said blade portion, partiallyforging a hosel portion of said golf club head, and joining said bladeportion to said hosel portion to create a partially forged golf clubhead before forging said partially forged golf club head into said golfclub head.

An additional non-limiting embodiment of the present invention includesan iron type golf club head comprising a blade portion including a heelmuscle region, made out of a first material, located near a terminal endof the iron type golf club head, the blade portion defining a strikingface adapted for striking a golf ball, a hosel portion, made out of asecond material, located near a proximal end of the iron type golf clubhead, and wherein the blade portion including the heel muscle region isforged from a unitary piece of material, and wherein the first materialhas an average Brinell HB hardness greater than 375.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the presentinvention will become better understood with references to the followingdrawings, description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other features and advantages of the invention will beapparent from the following description of the invention as illustratedin the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings, which areincorporated herein and form a part of the specification, further serveto explain the principles of the invention and to enable a personskilled in the pertinent art to make and use the invention.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a golf club head in accordance withan exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a pre-form billet used to create agolf club head in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 3a shows a perspective view of a pre-form billet used to create agolf club head in accordance with an alternative embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 3b shows a perspective view of a pre-form billet used to create agolf club head in accordance with an alternative embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 4 shows an exploded perspective view of a golf club head inaccordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 shows a frontal view of a golf club head in accordance with anexemplary embodiment of the present invention that defines a coordinatesystem;

FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of a golf club head without a soleinsert in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 7 shows an exploded perspective view of a golf club head inaccordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 shows a frontal view of a sole insert in accordance with anexemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 shows a frontal view of a golf club head in accordance with anexemplary embodiment of the present invention

FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of a pre-form billet used to create agolf club head in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 11A shows a perspective view of a blade portion in the form of arod and a hosel portion in the form of a rod in accordance with anexemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11B shows a perspective view of a pre-form billet used to create agolf club head in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 12A shows a perspective view of a blade portion in the form of arod and a hosel portion in the form of a rod, each including a locatingfeature, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 12B shows a perspective view of a pre-form billet used to create agolf club head in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 13A shows an exploded perspective view of a partially forgedcomponents of a golf club head in accordance with an alternativeembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 13B shows a perspective view of the golf club head in accordancewith an alternative embodiment of the present invention before the finalforging step;

FIG. 14 shows a perspective view of a finished golf club head inaccordance with the alternative embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 15 shows a rear exploded perspective view of the finished golf clubhead in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the presentinvention; and

FIG. 16 shows a frontal exploded view of the finished golf club head inaccordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplatedmodes of carrying out the invention. The description is not to be takenin a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustratingthe general principles of the invention, since the scope of theinvention is best defined by the appended claims.

Various inventive features are described below that can each be usedindependently of one another or in combination with other features.However, any single inventive feature may not address any or all of theproblems discussed above or may only address one of the problemsdiscussed above. Further, one or more of the problems discussed abovemay not be fully addressed by any of the features described below.

FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings shows a perspective view of a golfclub head 100 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention. More specifically, FIG. 1 shows a golf club head 100comprising out of three separate and distinct metallic alloy parts.First, the golf club head 100 shown in the current exemplary embodimentof the present invention may comprise a blade portion 102 located near aterminal end of the golf club head, wherein the blade portion 102 ismade out a lightweight iron-aluminum alloy material to save weight fromthe blade portion 102 of the golf club head. Secondly, the golf clubhead 100 may comprise a hosel portion 104 located near a proximal end ofthe golf club head, wherein the hosel portion 104 is made out of aconventional carbon steel material to preserve the traditionalperformance needs of a sturdy hosel portion. Finally, golf club head 100may have a sole insert 106 located near a bottom of the golf club head,wherein the sole insert 106 is made out of a heavy tungsten alloymaterial to shift the discretionary weight saved from the blade portion102 to a location that can be controlled using the heavier densermaterial. It should be noted that the materials discussed above for thevarious components are only illustrative and shouldn't be construed asexhaustive; other materials may be used in other embodiments of thepresent invention without departing from the scope and content of thepresent invention so long as it meets the density requirements below.

Blade portion 102 of the golf club head 100, as shown in the currentexemplary embodiment, may generally be comprised out of a first materialthat has a first density of less than about 7.10 grams/cc, morepreferably less than about 7.05 grams/cc, and most preferably less thanabout 7.00 grams/cc. In one exemplary embodiment, this first materialmay be a lightweight iron-aluminum material for its lightweightproperty; however, numerous other lightweight metallic materials may beused to achieve the same weight savings without departing from the scopeand content of the present invention. Hosel portion 104 of the currentinventive golf club head 100 may generally be comprised out of a secondmaterial having a second density of between about 7.75 grams/cc to about7.95 grams/cc, more preferably between about 7.80 grams/cc to about 7.90grams/cc, and most preferably about 7.85 grams/cc. In one exemplaryembodiment, this second material may be a standard carbon steel for itsstrength and malleable characteristics, however, numerous othermaterials may be used without departing from the scope and content ofthe present invention so long as it has a second density in the rangesdescribed above. Sole insert 106 of the golf club head 100 may generallybe comprised out of a third material having a third density of greaterthan about 11.00 grams/cc, more preferably greater than about 11.50grams/cc, and most preferably greater than about 12.00 grams/cc. In oneexemplary embodiment, this third material may be a tungsten alloy forits heavy density characteristics; however, numerous other materials maybe used without departing from the scope and content of the presentinvention so long as it has a third density in the range describedabove.

Although the current exemplary embodiment is illustrated using threedifferent materials to create the blade portion 102 of the golf clubhead 100, additional materials may be used without departing from thescope and content of the present invention. More specifically, the bladeportion 102 may be constructed out of four different materials, fivedifferent materials, six different materials, or any number of differentmaterials without departing from the scope and content of the presentinvention.

It is worth noting here that the first, second, and third material usedin this current exemplary embodiment of the present invention may allgenerally be a metallic type material that can be easily welded to oneanother. This ability of the various components to be easily welded toone another provides great performance advantage because it allows thefinished product to maintain a consistent solid feel; something that isdifficult to accomplish when contrasting materials such as a metal and aplastic are combined to form a golf club head. In a current exemplaryembodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1, the blade portion102 and the hosel portion 104 may generally be forged from a singlepre-form billet is spin welded together from two individual rods,allowing the finished product to achieve the solid structural integritygenerally associated with a golf club formed from a uniform material.Once the pre-form billet is forged into its desired shape, a sole cavitymay cut out using a cutter to create space for the sole insert 106;which itself may be welded into its final resting place within the golfclub head 100.

FIG. 2 of the accompanying drawings shows a perspective view of apre-form billet 200 used to form the golf club head 100 shown in FIG. 1.Per-form billet 200, as shown in FIG. 2 may generally have a bladeportion 202 and a hosel portion 204 separated by a bifurcation plane203. The blade portion 202 and the hosel portion 204 are generally spunwelded together using traditional friction welding techniques. Frictionwelding, as discussed in this current application, may generally referto a solid-state welding process that generates heat through mechanicalfriction between a moving workpiece and a stationary component, with theaddition of a lateral force called “an upset” to plastically displaceand fuse the materials together. Although actual no melting of thematerial occurs, this process is commonly known as friction welding dueto the fact that it is capable of combining two materials together.Preferably, spin welding techniques that uses traditional frictionwelding is used in this current exemplary embodiment, however, otherattachment techniques can be used without departing from the scope andcontent of the present invention so long as it is capable joining twodifferent materials into a pre-form billet 200.

FIG. 3a of the accompanying drawings shows a pre-form billet 300 inaccordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention thatcan be used to achieve the same weight savings by pre-form billet 200shown in FIG. 2 using a different construction. More specifically,pre-form billet 300 in this alternative embodiment of the presentinvention, may have a lightweight material 320 being wrapped around by adenser material 322 to create the pre-form billet 300 that is capable ofachieving the same lightweight properties needed by the golf club head100 (shown in FIG. 1). In this current exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention the lightweight material 320 may have a density ofless than about 7.10 grams/cc, more preferably less than about 7.05grams/cc, and most preferably less than about 7.00 grams/cc; while thedenser material 322 may have a density of between about 7.75 grams/cc toabout 7.95 grams/cc, more preferably between about 7.80 grams/cc toabout 7.90 grams/cc, and most preferably about 7.85 grams/cc.

FIG. 3b of the accompanying drawings shows a further alternativeembodiment of the present invention wherein the pre-form billet 300could have dense materials 322 placed at strategic locations within thepre-form billet 300 that is substantially constructed out of alightweight material 320. In this current exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention, the golf club head 300 could be formed in a way toallow for strategic adjustment of the weighting characteristics of agolf club head without the need for post operations. In the embodimentshown in FIG. 3b the placement of the dense materials 322 within thepre-form billet 300 may coincide with the a lower heel and lower toeportion of a golf club head to increase the moment of inertia of thefinalized product without departing from the scope and content of thepresent invention. Although the current exemplary embodiment utilizesdense materials 322 embedded within a lightweight material 320, theactual densities of the relative components could be adjusted to meetthe weighting needs of a golf club head without being restricted to thedrawing provided in FIG. 3 b.

FIG. 4 of the accompanying drawings showing an exploded view of golfclub head 400 with the sole insert 406 shifted out from the body of thegolf club head 400 to provide a clearer illustration of the relationshipof the various components. More specifically FIG. 4 of the accompanyingdrawings shows the golf club head 400 having the same blade portion 402,the same hosel portion 404, and the same sole insert 406 as previouslydiscussed; however, the exploded view of the golf club head 400 shown inFIG. 4 allows the sole cavity 405 to be shown. Sole cavity 405, as shownin the current exemplary embodiment, may generally be cut out from theforged blade portion 402 and the hosel portion 404 spanning across bothof these portions to cover a significant portion of the golf club head400. Because Blade portion 402 and the hosel portion 404 are generallyspun welded together to form a pre-form billet, the golf club head 400may generally be created using a forged process to maintain theseparation of the two different components. However, in alternativeembodiment of the present invention, golf club head 400 may be formedusing different process such as a casting process if alternativemethodologies allow the separation between the blade portion 402 and thehosel portion 404 to be maintained without departing from the scope andcontent of the present invention.

The exploded view of golf club head 400 shown in FIG. 4 also allows thesole profile of the golf club head 400 to be shown as it relates to thesole insert 406. More specifically, sole insert 406, in accordance withthe current exemplary embodiment of the present invention, may generallyhave an outer surface that has a shape being congruent with the externalcurvatures of the sole of the golf club head. Alternatively speaking,the outer sole surface of the sole insert 406 has a shape thatcompliments the contour of the perimeter of the sole cavity 405.

In addition to illustrating the sole cavity 405 more clearly, FIG. 4 ofthe accompanying drawings is also capable of showing the size, shape,and geometry of the sole insert 406. At first glance, it is apparentthat the shear volume of the sole insert 406 is significantly greaterthan prior art dense sole inserts due to the amount of weight that canbe saved from the remainder of the golf club head 400 via the usage ofthe lightweight first material in the blade portion 402. Morespecifically, the volume of the sole insert 406, as shown in thiscurrent exemplary embodiment of the present invention, is generallygreater than about 7.50 cubic centimeters, more preferably greater thanabout 7.6 cubic centimeters, and most preferably greater than about 7.69cubic centimeters. This type of increased volume for the sole insert406, combined with the heavier third material used to create the soleinsert 406, may generally yield a sole insert with a total weight ofgreater than about 90 grams, more preferably greater than about 91grams, and most preferably greater than about 92 grams.

Because the overall weight of an iron type golf club head 400 isgenerally kept consistent at about 240 grams to about 250 grams, theability to achieve a sole insert 406 in the weight ranges discussedabove must be accompanied by a significant weight reduction atalternative locations of the golf club head 400. Recognizing this, it isworthwhile to explain that the present invention achieves this weightreduction by minimizing the weight of the blade portion 402 of the golfclub head 400 via a lightweight first material for the entire bladeportion of the golf club head 400. More specifically, the presentinvention utilizes a low density iron-aluminum alloy material as one wayachieve this significant amount of weight reduction; however numerousother types of material may be used to reduce the overall weight of theblade portion 402 of the golf club head 400 without departing from thescope and content of the present invention.

In order to further explain the ability of the current inventive golfclub head 400 to incorporate a blade portion 402 that is made out of afirst material while maintaining a hosel portion 404 that is made out ofa second material, FIG. 5 is presented here showing a frontal view of agolf club head 500 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention allowing the blade portion 502 and the hosel portion504 to be more clearly defined.

Golf club head 500 in accordance with the exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention shown in FIG. 5 may generally show a “face center” 508as well as a bifurcation plane 503. “Face center” 508, as defined in thecurrent application, does not actually refer to the geometric center ofthe striking face itself, but in reality refer to an easily replicablelocation based off the scorelines on the striking face of the golf clubhead 500. More specifically, “face center” 508, as referred to in thecurrent application, is located on the striking face plane at a locationthat is at the midpoint along the length of the scorelines along theX-axis of the coordinate system 501 and at a point that is 15 mm awayfrom the ground 510 along the Y-axis of the coordinate system 501. Thelocation of this “face center” 508 is crucial in the current inventionbecause the bifurcation plane 503 that separates the blade portion 502from the hosel portion 504 is defined based off this “face center” 508.Bifurcation plane 503, as defined in the current application, maygenerally refer to a plane that is perpendicular to the striking faceplane and located at a distance d1 of exactly 30 mm heel-ward from the“face center” 508 of the golf club head 500 along the X-axis.

Because the bifurcation plane 503 is defined by the “face center” 508,whose exact location could differ when different scoreline patterns areused, the exact separation between the two portions are not necessarilycaptured by the bifurcation plane 503. However, the bifurcation plane503 is useful in determining the amount of weight that can be removedfrom the blade portion 502 of the golf club head 500 by utilizing thelightweight first material discussed earlier. More specifically, a ratioof the weight of the blade portion 502; defined by the portion of thegolf club head 500 that is toe-ward from the bifurcation plane 503,divided by the weight of the hosel portion 504; defined by the portionof the golf club head 500 that is heel-ward from the bifurcation plane503, is generally less than about 2.0, more preferably less than about1.90, and most preferably less than about 1.80. In order to achieve theratio above, the weight of the blade portion 502 may generally be lessthan about 110 grams, more preferably less than about 105 grams, andmost preferably less than 100 grams; while the weight of the hoselportion 504 may generally be greater than about 55 grams, morepreferably greater than about 55.25 grams, and most preferably greaterthan about 55.5 grams.

It should be noted here that in this current exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention, the ratio of the weights of the blade portion 502relative to the hosel portion 304 excludes the weighted sole insert 506.Despite the clear concise definition given above for the boundariesbetween the blade portion 502 and the hosel portion 504, the boundariesof the sole insert 506 to be excluded from the relative weight above isless obvious. Hence, in order to provide a clearer definition about theboundaries of the sole insert 506, the present invention providesseveral different methodologies; which can all be used interchangeablyto define the boundaries of the sole insert 506.

In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the boundaries ofthe sole insert 506 can be defined as portion of the golf club head thatis made out of a third material having a density of greater than 10.0grams/cc. Under this current definition the boundary of the sole insert506 from the remainder of the body of the golf club head 500 is easilyidentifiable because they are formed from two very distinct materialshaving very different densities. Alternatively, in another exemplaryembodiment of the present invention, the boundaries of the sole insert506 can be defined by using geometric shapes defined using the solecavity (shown in FIG. 4). In order to provide a clearer view of the solecavity in a way that allows it to be easily defined geometrically, FIG.6 is provided to show the boundaries of the sole cavity 605.

FIG. 6 of the accompanying drawings shows a perspective view of a golfclub head 600 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention oriented in a way to illustrate the boundaries of the soleinsert 506 (shown in FIG. 5) through the sole cavity 605. Morespecifically, FIG. 6 shows how the sole cavity 605 can be definedgeometrically by the amount of offset from the planar striking face 610of the golf club head. Alternatively speaking, sole cavity 605 can beformed by a cut that is offset by a distance d2 of 2.8 mm away from thestriking face 610 of the golf club head 600. In order to maintain aconsistent thickness at the frontal portion and the rear portion of thegolf club head 600, the cut used to form the rear surface of the solecavity 605 may also be offset by a distance d2 of 2.8 mm away from therear surface 612 of the golf club head 600. It is worth recognizing thatin this current exemplary embodiment of the present invention the rearsurface 612 of the golf club head 600 may be a curved surface, hencesole cavity 605 may have a curved surface near the rear surface 612 tomatch. Finally, the depth of the cut of the sole cavity 605 within thecurrent embodiment may generally be defined by a distance d3 of 34 mm,measuring from the top surface of the sole onto the bottom surface ofthe sole cavity 605.

The view of the golf club head 600 provided in FIG. 6 provides anotherinteresting feature of the present invention in creating the sole cavity605 in a unique shape that sandwiches the sole insert (not shown)between the striking face 610 and the rear surface 612, both of whichare substantially planar. The ability of the golf club head 600 tocreate this sandwich structure is important to maintaining the solidfeel of a golf club head 600 that is built from one material, but stillbe capable of incorporating a significant amount of discretionary weightwithin the sole insert (not shown) to improve the performance of thegolf club head 600.

In summary, the present invention provides a golf club head that is madeout of preferably three different materials to achieve the mostdiscretionary weight without sacrificing the solid feel generallyassociated with a golf club head that is formed using a unitarymaterial. In order to provide a comprehensive view of the threedifferent materials, FIG. 7 is provided showing an exploded view of allthree different of the components that have the different materials.More specifically, FIG. 7 shows an exploded perspective view of a golfclub head 700 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention. Here, it can be seen that the blade portion 702 may beseparated from the hosel portion 704 at the bifurcation plane 703 tocreate two different components with different density characteristics.Because the blade portion 702 may be joined together with the hosel 704using friction welding techniques such as spin welding, the materialsare not easily separated, but are exploded from each other in this viewfor ease of identification. The exploded view of the golf club head 700shown in FIG. 7 also allows the sole insert 706 to be shown in itsnatural state before being assembled into the golf club head 700. It isworthwhile to note here that the sole insert 706 in accordance with thecurrent exemplary embodiment of the present invention may be where themajority of the weight of the golf club head 700 is focused, as thediscretionary weight saved by the blade portion 702 opens up asignificant amount of design space for the shape and geometry of thesole insert 706. Sole insert 706 in accordance with the currentexemplary embodiment of the present invention may generally be welded tothe blade portion 702 and hosel portion 704 of the golf club head 700;however numerous other attachment methods such as swaging, gluing, oreven using screws may be used without departing from the scope andcontent of the present invention.

FIG. 8 of the accompanying drawings shows an enlarged perspective viewof the sole insert 806 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention. This enlarged view of the sole insert 806 illustrateshow the discretionary weight saved from the remainder of the golf clubhead could be used at strategic locations near the bottom of the golfclub head to improve the performance of the golf club head. Morespecifically, FIG. 8 shows not only an increase in the size of the soleinsert 806, but also the unique geometric shape of the sole insert 806that indicates the strategic placement of the discretionary weight. Soleinsert 806 may generally have a heel portion 832, a central portion 834,and a toe portion 836 of varying thicknesses to help not only create alower CG, but also to increase the MOI of the golf club head. Theincrease in MOI of the golf club head can be achieved by increasing thethickness of the heel portion 832 and the toe portion 836 relative tothe central portion 834, which in turn, makes the golf club head lesssusceptible to twisting when it is struck off center. It is also worthrecognizing here that because significant amount of weight can be savedfrom the remainder of the golf club head, the toe portion 836 of thesole insert 806 is capable of extending higher into the toe of the bodyof the golf club head to provide extreme toe weighting to counteract theweight already designed into the hosel of the golf club head.

FIG. 9 of the accompanying drawings shows a front view of a golf clubhead 900 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention. More specifically, FIG. 9 shows a golf club head 900comprising a blade portion 902, and a hosel portion 904, separated by abifurcation plane 903. Additionally, FIG. 9 illustrates face center 908of the face of the golf club head 900. Face center 908, as referred toin the current application, is located on the striking face plane at alocation that is at the midpoint along the length of the scorelinesalong the X-axis of the coordinate system and at a point that is 15 mmaway from the ground 910 along the Y-axis of the coordinate system. Thebifurcation plane 903, as defined in the current application, maygenerally refer to a plane that is perpendicular to the striking faceplane and located at a distance d9 exactly 30 mm heel-ward from the facecenter 908 of the golf club head 900 along the X-axis.

It can be preferable to manufacture the blade portion 902 and the hoselportion 904 out of different materials, in order to maximize theperformance characteristics of the golf club head 900, while alsoallowing the golf club head 900 to be modified to fit golfer'srequirements. For example, the hosel portion 904 of the golf club headmay need to be bent to alter lie angle or loft. Therefore, it ispreferable for the hosel portion 904 of the club head 900 to yieldwithout using extreme force and without cracking. It has been found thatit is preferable for the hosel portion 904 to be comprised of a materialhaving a yield strength less than about 570 MPa, to allow for adjustmentof lie and loft angle without the use of excessive force. It ispreferable however to construct the blade portion 902 out of a highstrength material to achieve maximum performance characteristics. Thus,in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, theblade portion 902 is made of a first material, and the hosel portion 904is made of a second material. Additionally, it is preferable that thefirst material has a higher yield strength than the second material. Insome embodiments, the first material has a yield strength greater thanabout 570 MPa and the second material has a yield strength less thanabout 570 MPa. In some embodiments, the first material has greater than0.10% carbon content by weight and the second material has less than0.10% carbon content by weight.

In some embodiments, over 50% of the blade portion 902 is made of afirst material and over 50% of the hosel portion 904 is made of a secondmaterial. In other embodiments, over 70% of the blade portion 902 ismade of a first material and over 70% of the hosel portion 904 is madeof a second material. In additional embodiments, over 90% of the bladeportion 902 is made of a first material and over 90% of the hoselportion 904 is made of a second material. In additional embodiments,over 95% of the blade portion 902 is made of a first material and over95% of the hosel portion 904 is made of a second material.

Hardness is an additional indication of the strength of differentmaterials, and thus of different portions of the golf club head 900.Hardness can be tested after a golf club head has been forged. Toachieve an average hardness of each portion of the golf club head,greater than 3 tests are completed at random locations around eachportion of the golf club head, and then averaged. In some embodiments,as a function of the different materials, the blade portion 902 can havean average Brinell HB hardness greater than about 275. The hosel portion904 can have an average Brinell HB hardness less than about 275. Inother embodiments, hosel portion 904 can have an average Brinell HBhardness less than about 250. In other embodiments, hosel portion 904can have an average Brinell HB hardness less than about 225. In otherembodiments, hosel portion 904 can have an average Brinell HB hardnessless than about 200. In other embodiments, hosel portion 904 can have anaverage Brinell HB hardness less than about 175. In other embodiments,hosel portion 904 can have an average Brinell HB hardness less thanabout 150.

A new and innovative method for forming such a golf club head 900 asillustrated in FIG. 9 has been developed. FIG. 10 illustrates aperspective view of a pre-form billet 1000 used to form the golf clubhead 900. Pre-form billet 1000 may generally have a blade portion 1002and a hosel portion 1004 separated by a bifurcation plane 1003. Theblade portion 1002 and hosel portion 1004 can be welded together. Insome embodiments, as illustrated in FIGS. 11A and 11B, blade portion1102 can be welded together around the perimeter of the bifurcationplane 1103. In other embodiments they can be spin welded together asdescribed above. In an additional embodiment, as illustrated in FIGS.12A and 12B, the blade portion 1202 and the hosel portion 1204 can eachincorporate a locating feature 1212, 1214, configured to cooperate withone another and located said blade portion 1202 relative to said hoselportion 1204 during welding. The first locating feature 1212 cancomprise a bore and the second locating feature 1214 can comprise aprotrusion. These roles can be reversed in another embodiment. Asillustrated in FIG. 12B, the second locating feature 1214 can be coupledto the first locating feature 1212, and the blade portion 1202 can bewelded to the hosel portion 1204. Subsequently, the pre-form billet1000, 1100, 1200 can be forged into a desired shape for the iron typegolf club head 900. In another embodiment, the first locating feature1212 and second locating feature 1214 could each include threads tofurther lock the blade portion 1202 to the hosel portion 1204.Additional mechanical locking features are possible as well.

The following is a list of example materials from which the firstmaterial could be selected: steel, managing steel, high strength steel,ultra high strength steel, stainless steel, low alloy steel, chrome molysteel, precipitation hardened stainless steel, 17-4, 15-3, 4340, 4140,4130, Allvac® VascoMax® C300 Specialty Steel, Custom 455® Stainless,Custom 465® Stainless, Custom 475® Stainless, K301 steel etc. (Allvac®is a registered trademark of Vanadium-Alloys Steel Company located inLatrobe Pa.; VascoMax® is a registered trademark of Allvac MetalsCompany located in Monroe, N.C.; Custom 455®, Custom 465®, and Custom475® are registered trademarks of Carpenter Technology Corporationlocated in Reading, Pa.)

The following is a list of example materials from which the secondmaterial could be selected: steel, stainless steel, plain carbon steel,304, 431, 1025, 1018, 1020, etc.

FIGS. 13A and 13B shows an alternate embodiment of the present inventionwherein the blade portion 1302 and the hosel portion 1304 are pre-forgedinto shapes that more closely resemble their ultimate shape before theyare joined together using the methods discussed above. Ultimately, afterthe blade portion 1302 and the hosel portion 1304 are joined together,they form a partially forged golf club head that can then be forgedagain to create the end product without departing from the scope andcontent of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 13A, the bladeportion 1302 may be partially forged into a shape that more closelyresembles the ultimate shape of the striking face of the golf club whilethe hosel portion 1304 may be also be partially forged into a shape thatmore closely resembles the ultimate shape of the upper end of the hoselof the golf club. It should be noted that in this intermediary phase ofthe alternate construction methodology, both the blade portion 1302 andthe hosel portion 1304 may have a significant amount of excess materialaround the perimeter of the forged component. This excess material,generally known as “flash” 1351 may generally need to be trimmed offbefore the next phase of the manufacturing process.

It should be noted that the blade portion 1302 in this current exemplaryembodiment may have a cavity 1352 already forged in the lower heel sideof the golf club head 1300 to create space for a weight member made outof a dense material. Finally, and most importantly, it should be notedthat the blade portion 1302 in this embodiment includes the heel muscleregion 1354 that is made out of the same material. This material maygenerally be a high strength steel having a hardness of greater thanBrinell HB greater than 375, because the hosel portion 1304 has beenisolated from the blade portion 1302. Having the blade portion 1302include the heel muscle region 1354 is critical to the present inventionbecause it allows a significant portion of the striking face portion tobe forged out of the same high strength steel material without the needfor any welding on the contact surface.

FIG. 13B shows the next step of the manufacturing process in accordancewith this alternative embodiment of the present invention. Morespecifically, FIG. 13B shows that the flash 1351 has been trimmed fromthe blade portion 1302 and the hosel portion 1304, and those pieces arejoined together at the jointed section 1352. In the figure shown in FIG.13B the location of the jointed section 1352 is only provided as areference, as the exact location of the jointed section 1352 may shiftrelative to the blade portion 1302 and the hosel portion 1304, as thejointed golf club head may need to be subjected to a final forging stepthat could shift the flow of material. In one preferred embodiment ofthe present invention, the blade portion 1302 may be joined to the hoselportion 1304 by welding the two pieces together, however, numerous otherjoining methods such as a threaded attachment, spin welding, mechanicallock, or any other types of joining mechanism may be used withoutdeparting from the scope and content of the present invention so long asit is capable of joining the two pieces of material together.

Although the concept of using different materials with differentmaterial properties at different portions of the golf club head hasalready been discussed above, the present embodiment provides a methodto more easily implement the technology. More specifically, due to thefact that the present embodiment allows both the blade portion 1302 andthe hosel portion 1304 to be partially forged, it is easier to controlthe separation of the materials when compared to when the materials arejoined at the billet stage. In addition to the benefit of being able tomore easily control the separation of material, the present embodimentalso provides an additional benefit of allowing more complicatedconstruction methods to be utilized.

In summary, it can be said that in this alternative embodiment of thepresent invention, a golf club may be created by first partiallypre-forging a blade portion 1302 and a hosel portion 1304 independentlyof one another. In this embodiment, the blade portion 1302 may becreated out of higher strength steel as discussed previously, while thehosel portion 1304 may be created out of softer steel as discussedpreviously as well. The softer steel used at the hosel portion 1304 mayallow more ease of bending of the final golf club head to accommodatethe fitting needs of the end golfer. It should also be noted that theblade portion 1304 of the golf club head 1300 may also contain a cavity1353 located at a bottom heel portion of the golf club head 1300 createdduring the pre-forging process. Subsequent to the independent formationof the blade portion 1302 and the hosel portion 1304, the two pieces arejoined together using one of the joining methods discussed above. Oncethe blade portion 1302 and the hosel portion 1304 are joined together toform a partially forged golf club head. This unitary piece of partiallyforged golf club head will now be forged again to the final desiredshape. During this final forging step, additional weights may be addedto the cavity 1353 and sealed with cap if such weighting is desired.

FIG. 14 shows the finished golf club head 1400 in accordance with thisalternative embodiment of the present invention described in FIG. 13Aand FIG. 13B. In this finished golf club head, it can be seen that afterthe final forging step, the blade portion 1402 and the hosel portion1404 have been joined together to produce an end product that may lookidentical externally when compared to a conventional golf club head.However, underneath the cosmetics, it can be seen that the material usedat the hosel portion 1404 may generally be softer than the material ofthe blade portion 1402, allowing a high performing golf club head tohave a soft bendable hosel. It should be noted that this specificembodiment of the present invention may be able to incorporate morecomplex construction methods, allowing a backing piece 1458 and amedallion 1460 to be used to create a potentially hollow golf club head1400. In order to illustrate the components of this embodiment of thepresent invention, FIGS. 15 and 16 are provided with exploded views ofthe different components of the present invention.

FIG. 15 of the accompanying drawings shows an exploded back view of agolf club head 1500 in accordance with this alternative embodiment ofthe present invention illustrating all the components associated thatcan be used with this construction method. The blade portion 1502 andthe hosel portion 1504 are attached to one another after each has beenindividually forged. It can be seen in this embodiment that the bladeportion 1502 may have a cavity 1553 already forged into its geometry toaccept the weight member 1554, which will be encased by the cover 1556.At the toe portion of the golf club head another weight member 1554 isplaced near the bottom of the golf club head 1500, and that weight isencased by the backing piece 1558. Finally, this alternative embodimentof the present invention may have a medallion 1560 attached to anexternal portion of the backing piece 1558.

FIG. 16 provides a similar exploded view of the golf club head 1600 inaccordance with this alternative embodiment of the present invention.This frontal exploded view of the golf club head 1600 provides adifferent angle to show the different shapes of the components used tocreate the golf club head 1600. More specifically, this frontal explodedview allows the cavity 1653 near the heel side of the sole of the golfclub head 1600 to be shown. In addition to the above, this frontal viewalso allows internal components of the backing piece 1658 to be shownmore clearly. Finally FIG. 16 also shows that the weight member 1654could be placed at the heel portion and the heel portion together.

Other than in the operating example, or unless otherwise expresslyspecified, all of the numerical ranges, amounts, values and percentagessuch as those for amounts of materials, moment of inertias, center ofgravity locations, loft, draft angles, various performance ratios, andothers in the aforementioned portions of the specification may be readas if prefaced by the word “about” even though the term “about” may notexpressly appear in the value, amount, or range. Accordingly, unlessindicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in thefollowing specification and attached claims are approximations that mayvary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by thepresent invention. At the very least, and not as an attempt to limit theapplication of the doctrine of equivalents to the scope of the claims,each numerical parameter should at least be construed in light of thenumber of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary roundingtechniques.

Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forththe broad scope of the invention are approximations, the numericalvalues set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely aspossible. Any numerical value, however, inherently contains certainerrors necessarily resulting form the standard deviation found in theirrespective testing measurements. Furthermore, when numerical ranges ofvarying scope are set forth herein, it is contemplated that anycombination of these values inclusive of the recited values may be used.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates toexemplary embodiments of the present invention and that modificationsmay be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventionas set forth in the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of forming an iron type golf club headcomprising: partially forging a blade portion and a heel muscle regionof said iron type golf club head with a cavity near a bottom soleportion of said blade portion from a first material; partially forging ahosel portion of said iron type golf club head from a second material;joining said blade portion to said hosel portion to create a partiallyforged golf club head; forging said partially forged golf club head intosaid iron type golf club head, wherein said step of joining said bladeportion to said hosel portion is accomplished via a threaded mechanism.2. The method of claim 1, wherein said second material has a Brinell HBhardness less than about
 250. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein saidsecond material has a Brinell B hardness less than about
 225. 4. Themethod of claim 3, wherein said second material has a Brinell HBhardness less than about
 200. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein saidsecond material has a Brinell HB hardness less than about
 175. 6. Themethod of claim 5, wherein said second material has a Brinell HBhardness less than about
 150. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein saidblade first material has a yield strength of greater than about 570 MPa,and wherein said second material has a yield strength less than about570 MPa.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein said first material is 17-4stainless steel and said second material is 304 stainless steel.
 9. Themethod of claim 7, wherein said first material is K301 steel and saidsecond material is 1020 steel.
 10. An iron type golf club headcomprising: a blade portion, made out of a first material, located neara terminal end of said iron type golf club head, said blade portiondefining a striking face adapted for striking a golf ball and forming acavity near a bottom sole portion of said blade portion; a hoselportion, made out of a second material, located near a proximal end ofsaid iron type golf club head; and wherein said first material has ayield strength greater than about 570 MPa, wherein said second materialhas a yield strength less than about 570 MPa, and wherein said secondmaterial has a Brinell HB hardness less than about 250, wherein saidfirst material is 17-4 stainless steel and said second material is 304stainless steel.
 11. The iron type golf club head of claim 10, whereinsaid second material has a Brinell HB hardness less than about
 225. 12.The iron type golf club head of claim 11, wherein said second materialhas a Brinell HB hardness less than about
 200. 13. The iron type golfclub head of claim 12, wherein said second material has a Brinell HBhardness less than about
 175. 14. The iron type golf club head of claim13, wherein said second material has a Brinell HB hardness less thanabout
 150. 15. The iron type golf club head of claim 10, wherein saidblade portion and said hosel portion are joined together via a weldingprocess.
 16. An iron type golf club head comprising: a blade portionincluding a heel muscle region, made out of a first material, locatednear a terminal end of said iron type golf club head, said blade portiondefining a striking face adapted for striking a golf ball; and a hoselportion, made out of a second material, located near a proximal end ofsaid iron type golf club head; wherein said blade portion including saidheel muscle region is forged from a unitary piece of material, andwherein said first material has an average Brinell HB hardness greaterthan 375, wherein said first material is 17-4 stainless steel and saidsecond material is 304 stainless steel.
 17. The iron type golf club headof claim 16, wherein said second material has an average Brinell HBHardness less than 200.